<p>School: Public, hardly ever sends students to elite schools
GPA: 3.98 (We don’t have any AP classes and only a few honors, but I have taken the most rigorous schedule possible, including college courses.)
ACT: 33 only 8 on writing section
ECs:
Student Council (President)
Class President (Soph, Jr)
Quiz Bowl (Captain, 2 yrs)
Track (4 yrs)
Cross Country (4 yrs)
Debate (4 yrs- 4th, 3rd in State)
History Day National Qualifier
Lifesmarts (2 yrs)
A TON of Academic Competitions</p>
<p>I think that you have a really good shot at getting in…I guess so does everyone else. You certainly have the grades and scores. It just depends on how well you make yourself shine through your essays. I would suggest highlighting either your involvment in sports or talk about your “ton of academic competitions.” Generalize your minor achievements, but maximize your major ones. Good luck!</p>
<p>Assuming your GPA is unweighted and you are not URM… you have a fine shot but certainly not a “really good shot.” Since you don’t have any AP classes and only a few honors classes, it will be harder for you to crack the ivy league. It is unclear whether you are first in your class but I would hope you would be at least a top 3 student in your grade considering your weak school description.</p>
<p>Your ACT is fine but it is not exceptional. Accepted students will have closer to 35-36 as opposed to 33. You really want to be at least in the ACT equivalent of 2200’s if you want a better shot so I would retake ACT if I were you and go for 34+. Considering that you only have to “show” your best ACT, it makes a lot of sense to try at least one more time.</p>
<p>Your ECs are fine but certainly not unique and/or extremely interesting/impressive. Twenty years ago being a class President was more impressive but nowadays it is more banal. Debate is good, but Yale is filled with talented debaters – and it is unclear what state you are from so I can’t tell if being “top 3” is as impressive.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong: you are definitely in the ballpark to apply and be considered seriously. It is just very, very hard to get in nowadays…</p>
<p>The 50% range of ACT’s at Yale is 30-34, so postit is actually above average for accepted students.</p>
<p>Personally I think Yalie343 is being a wee bit over critical, but who knows what the admissions officers think.</p>
<p>Without question postit is in the middle range for accepted students. That said, postit is not a URM, recruited athlete, etc. I wasn’t saying that the ACT was bad by any means – I was saying that it could still be improved if you want to improve chances given his EC situation. I am tough when I evaluate ppl but I think that is better than being easy…</p>
<p>I can see where yalie343 is coming from, however, there are PLENTY of people that get in with a 33. You don’t have to have a 34+ to get accepted…let alone a guarenteed spot in. Like I said before, it just depends on your essays from here on out.</p>
<p>Your essays and/or ethnic background really need to be something that convinces Yale that you are academically viable. But your EC’s look decent, you are certainly a competitive applicant.</p>
<p>Agree with Yalie343’s assessment of extracurriculars and see them as the weak point. As 343 said, you’re in the ballpark and obviously impressive, but it is so ridiculous these days that I don’t see anything that makes you stand out. Work hard on those essays.</p>
<p>What are considered good ECs?</p>
<p>That’s a good question and I don’t think anyone will be able to tell you a “right” answer. I would recommend focusing on something(s) you are passionate about and are able to fully convey your true voice through. By all means, list everything (significant) that you accomplished, but focus on your passionate ECs. Don’t worry about feeling inferior to those who won international awards and the like. Just focus on highlighting your strengths and what you are passionate about.</p>
<p>So to answer your question: a good EC is any thing that you have spent a significant amount of time doing and are passionate about. Just be sure to convey this through an essay or any other medium.</p>
<p>While kids who do things just at their school certainly get into Yale, I think pursuing activities and especially leadership beyond the confines of your school is very helpful. So is being recognized for something on a state or national level. Doesn’t much matter what your activity is, although doing something quirky can help you stand out.</p>
<p>Take a look at the thread posted when admissions decisions came out to see the range of ECs people were pursuing and what their results were. It’s eye opening.</p>
<p>Not everyone who gets into yale is a super superstar, but you get people with published novels, movie and TV stars, athletes who are #1 in the country in their sport, people who have founded and sustained soup kitchens serving large populations, entrepreneurs who have made hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses they started, etc. I have interviewed people with these types of profiles with strong (but not great, think 3.8ish in toughest courseload) GPAs who haven’t been accepted, not even waitlisted. </p>
<p>Again, “regular” outstanding kids do get in, but it’s so tough that people with absurd ECs don’t get in. That’s why I get frustrated with the very positive feedback people get on chances threads. I’m not sure posters have spent enough years seeing who gets turned down to understand what a truly excellent profile looks like.</p>
<p>OP, again, you’re certainly in a range to be considered.</p>